Certainly, being on stage is a rush.

Theater is hard.

I love filming in New York. I love New York movies, too. I just like it when people can take New York and make it their own, because there are so many different New Yorks.

I've seen people, where if they have to wait around the set for three hours, and they call you at the wrong time, and they're not ready for you, some people don't like that.

I don't want my learning curve to be stunted by just all of a sudden doing work all the time and not being careful about the work that I'm doing.

People have asked me about playing outsiders. I don't consider myself an outsider. Maybe that's why I'm interested in that. I'm not really sure.

As an actor, the toughest thing is being subject to circumstance. Meaning: What scripts are out there that are available?

It's a funny thing. You sort of never figure it out with acting. You're always learning.

Being actors is a strange job.

One of my favorite films is 'Dumb and Dumber.' I'd love to do some really silly comedy someday.

Everything you do, every experience that you have, enlightens you a little bit or worsens you.

I remember going to the theatre when I was little and the lights going down and just getting really scared about what was going to happen up there.

The whole being-in-a-room interview thing, at a junket or a film festival, is very inhuman. You meet the person, have five or 10 minutes to talk, and it's not like a conversation.

I think was overly empathetic for a while in my life.

I can obviously relate to a character who is an artist, because the creative process is a big part of my life.

The way Hollywood works, you're never sure if their first thought is to make a great film and honor the material or just another business property.

I sort of grew up doing theater. And that's how I got into film, actually.

You try to get to know your character as best as you can before you start filming - what's written and not written.

I've definitely been in ruts, and I think having some kind of perseverance is important.

I feel like, once you're doing a job, you shouldn't talk about it.

I approach every role from scratch.

Some projects go as you hope or imagine, and some change or reveal themselves in a different way; it depends.

I think it is important to make sure that I have my real life as well, because Hollywood can certainly seem like an alternate reality sometimes.

You look at the part in '12 Years A Slave,' you finish that script - I mean, it's a powerful story. You go, 'Man, I have to play a bad character in this.' And then you go, 'Well, do I want to play a bad character and contribute to a good story?'